A brush fire near Keaau Beach Park sent firefighters and police racing into Makaha on Tuesday night, with thick smoke hanging over the mountain and the response quickly bumped up to a higher alarm level.
The Honolulu Fire Department was alerted to the blaze near 83 Farrington Highway, according to KITV. Several units were dispatched, and, in a bit of welcome news, no injuries or threats to nearby structures were reported in the station’s account.
West Oahu Fire Risk Still A Local Worry
The incident lands in the middle of a broader push by Hawaiian Electric to shore up wildfire safety along the Leeward Coast. The utility has launched a multiyear effort to replace aging utility poles in the area, including up to 30 poles in Makaha, as part of its wildfire-safety program. The work is aimed at lowering the odds that equipment failures could help spark fires, although no cause has been identified for Tuesday’s brush fire.
Makaha has already seen another notable wildland fire this summer. On June 20, a blaze near Makaha Community Park burned about two acres before Honolulu firefighters contained it, and no evacuations were needed, Hawaii News Now reported.
Officials have not yet identified the cause of the Keaau Beach Park fire or released a final containment update. Residents are being urged to keep an eye on official emergency alerts for any changes around Farrington Highway and nearby West Oahu communities.
